Another Pond
by the-doctors-shadow
Summary: Set post Angels Take Manhattan. Rita, whilst staying with her grandparents, runs into a gangly alien who featured in the stories she was told as a child. Rated T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Set post Angel's Take Manhatten. With eleven and OC. Set in the land down under, eleven runs into his past companions; or at least someone like them.**

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My fingers were slowly turning blue and I could feel the goosebumbs forming under the denim. I sighed and headed inside, dreams of stars would have to wait for a warmer night I suppose. In books characters are never held back from dreams by the weather, its usually class or gender, or in most fairytales an evil stepmother and or witch. I don't know where my fascination of the stars comes from. Maybe its that they could lead to other worlds, but more than that I think it is because they are uncountable, seemingly limitless and burning thousands of lightyears from me appearing as tiny dots in the skyline. Nothing will happen in my lifetime, the furthest we've gone is to the moon, and the whole 'water on Mars' theory seems to have lost ground.

My fingers tingled, on the point of pain, when I went back into the heat filled house. Living in the inner city, well, at least in view of the Yarra, gave me a whole new set of stars to look at. Obviously not that different, but seeing half of them covered up with smoke gave them a fragility that was strange to think about regarding huge burning suns. Nan was, naturally, fast asleep by now and I could raid the cupboard for her chocolate storage without fear of being caught. The supply seemed endless, as a child I called it the magic box, always filling itself up. I have gotten over the whole magic theory now but I still don't know when she buys chocolate to fill it.

The morning came and I heard granpa's off tune song float through the house

'back again now today

from when I spent so long away

to catch those fish

that I really did wish

to take home to my love

who much sweeter than a dove

let me fly from home

and left her all alone'

'Hey! she was never all alone!' I called in protest.

'Right you are sweetie, but my rhymes were quickly running out'

'To make it up to her a think an obligatory breakfast-in-bed is necessary'

'Already ahead of you love.' He kissed me on the head before humming away to the back of the house

'Alone and home don't rhyme you realise?' I shouted laughing towards his retreating back

'And my arguing little granddaughter shall get none of my special traditional pancakes unless she honestly agrees that I am the best song writer she has ever heard.'

'You're okay gramps, between your songs and Amy's drawings I should really have gotten some of your talent. Speaking of your lovely wife, I doubt she will forgive you if you are not there with tea the moment she awakes.'

'Your as naggy as she is! How did I end up stuck with you two?'

'It's just because you're so special. You help us women survive, how ever could we cope if you hadn't returned sooner! We had no man to protect our delicate souls!' I fainted dramatically into the chair.

'If any women needed any less help from men than you and your nan then I'd be shocked, two most competent girls I've ever met in my life! Now if you will stop your chattering I have a tea to deliver to a most deserving wife. AMY LOVE, I'm coming with your tea!' Humming up the stairs his still mud covered boots left prints on the steps.

'Just heading out for a bit today guys, won't be back too late, see you for dinner.'

'What no pancakes? It's your loss I suppose.' Pa called back to me

'Don't be ridiculous, the girl needs to live, it can't be any fun hanging out with her old grandparents all day. Good morning Rita by the way!' Nan rescued me, but I knew it was hard on her.

'Fine, fine. Have fun love, but maybe not as much fun as your Nan did; a kissogram… it was unbelievable.'

'I was young and stupid back then'

'Not as stupid as I was to fall in love with you'

'You couldn't resist my brilliant hair obviously'

'I maintain it was a spell you bewitched me with'

'Oh no, I have forgotten to give you the tablets while you were away, Rita the spell I cast is breaking! If you leave now Rory will find out everything!'

'Don't worry nan, he couldn't survive by himself, I think you may be stuck with him for a while longer yet.' I took my chance and left then, before they could start telling stories, not that the stories weren't interesting. That was the more annoying thing, I as an 18 year old girl was still captivated by the tales from my grandparents. The stories weren't the normal fairytales, of course I heard them as well, but the most interesting ones were the ones that Nan and Pa made up themselves. Most, no I'd have to say all featured themselves, and a varying mix of creatures, or should I say monsters? Aliens perhaps?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Okay okay, I know this has been a long time coming, but I was on holiday for a while and also broken computer issues. Yes by the way Rita is Amy's/Rory's granddaughter, basically they moved to Australia and there was a slight plot adjustment where they COULD have children. Anyway, the story goes on!**

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The sun was slowly thawing out my limbs as I lay on the banks of the river. A tiny ant ran over my bare foot and I just sat, watching and waiting. I was on the verge of naming said ant when I heard a noise that sent him scurrying away. A warping sound came from the bushes nearby, like music being played on terrible speakers. I groaned and got up to move, I wasn't in the mood for dealing with hardcore music fans rocking out to the sounds that only gave me headaches. I shook the ant off and went about putting my shoes back on. The ground wasn't completely dry and I knew I'd have a wet patch all down my back. _Great, just when the day was looking okay…. _

I heard from where the strange warp music came from a man talking and, believe it or not, I had nothing better to do today than investigate a solitary man with an English accent talking from the bushes.

'Now then what do we have here, earth level gravity, stronger UV levels though, 21st century structures, weird stars' the man muttered to himself; stomping and glaring into the sky. He was tall, and seemed to be very preoccupied with sniffing the dirt. I was wary, I hadn't grown up in the safest neighborhood and strange men with old jackets could turn out dangerous. At the same time he didn't look particularly old, or like he would hurt anyone, and Melbourne is filled with plenty of slightly crazy people.

"Why have you got me here then hey?" he yelled towards the box, which surprise surprise, didn't respond. He walked into the box, slammed the door shut and then it disappeared. Not in the blink of an eye, more like it started fading and I heard the same warping sound again and then it was gone.

I walked slowly into the trees where he and the box had been, thinking it must be some mirror tricks because things don't just disappear. But the whole area was empty, no mirrors, no wires. Only the man's faint footprints in the ground proved it had to be real. But there was nothing to do. Where ever that man was he certainly wasn't here. I was about to leave, albeit very puzzled, when a red shape caught my eye from where he had been in the bushes. Grabbing it I puzzled over the hat. A fez. It looked ridiculous. I tried to remember if he had been wearing it and yes, admittedly, did search all over it for some 'magic button' to return the box.

Disappointed with the lack of any buttons I realised it must just be a hat and moved to go again. Then I heard the warping, for the third time and this time I knew exactly what would happen. The box appeared, right where it had disappeared from and the man came out and headed straight to the bushes (where the fez was). He didn't seem to see me, though I was in straight sight and called behind himself

"Amy please say you have my fez?"

"I'm not Amy, but I do have your fez"

He turned around, almost shocked to hear me talk and ran when he saw me.

"What do we have here then? You've done a terrible job of replicating her, only tricked me when I wasn't even thinking. She's too young anyway, you've done an 18/19 year old version? Pathetic"

I managed to get out only a confused "what?" before he started shoving a beeping-lighty thing into my eyes.

"Hey what are you trying to do? Blind me?"

He was turned away though studying his beeping stick.

"Ahh, seems I made a mistake. Human." He turned to me, smiling now, "You're a human!"

"Yes, of course I am"

"And Australian too! Explains the different stars." He gestured to the clear blue sky, not seeming to realise it was the middle of the day. He turned to me again, realizing I still had his hat, "Well I better be off, if I could just have my fez…?"

I was shocked, "You mean you expect to turn up, disappear, reappear, call me 'Amy' and accuse me and then just grab your ridiculous hat and leave again? You are crazy." I crossed my arms over the hat, needing some explanation.

"Ridiculous!? It's a fez! Fezes' are cool! And well it really is a long story, you looked like someone I know, knew I suppose" He stopped short, his smile faded.

"Why did you need to check whether I was a human? Why would someone want to trick you?"

"Well not everyone is human obviously. Open up your mind" At this point he rapped sharply on my head, continuing "you could have been a very poor ganger, or someone who tries to replicate the tesselect, clearly unsuccessfully. And why would they want to trick me? To win a bet I suppose, to get information, to capture me, kill me. The list goes on"

"KILL? You're joking, shouldn't you tell someone? Aren't you the police?" I gestured towards his box, the big white letters spelling 'police box.'

"This no, this is a TARDIS, a time machine, it used to change into anything but the cameleon circuit broke and now it stays like this. It's kinda cool huh?"

I was shocked, time machine, I couldn't believe him, shouldn't believe him, but something made me say "could you show me?" All school advice said not to go into strange boxes with even weirder men. But something made me trust him, more than just a general feeling, I could see it in his eyes. He was kind.

"Well first things first, I don't even know your name?"

"Rita, I don't know yours though"

"Well that'd be 'Doctor'" He put his fingers over my mouth when I started to ask for more information, "I knew a Rita, I liked her a lot. Do you think you are as brave as she was? Rita who demands too be let into a box with a strange man?"

"Well, Doctor, why don't you see for yourself? Take me with you."

He smiled, and jumped and ran to his box, "Well Rita, I might just have to do that"

And I followed him into the box.


End file.
